The sight of a wild landscape covered with heathers
in full bloom is breathtaking, so it is little surprise
that people have found ways of introducing these
rewarding plants into their gardens. Here they excel,
offering color in the drabbest months and a huge
diversity of height, habit, and other valuable
characteristics in return for modest cultural demands.
This comprehensive and highly informative account
encompasses the heaths and heathers of the closely
related genera Calluna, Daboecia, and Erica, whose
shared characteristics and similar cultural requirements
make them broadly compatible in a variety of garden
situations. These plants have enhanced people's lives
for millennia and a full discussion of their naming,
uses and other interactions with humans is explored in
detail. A fascinating account of the unique ecological
niche they occupy including their remarkable adaptation
to make use of the nitrogen and phosphorus unavailable
to most other plants provides a fitting context for
discussion of their specific cultural needs. With more
than 700 cultivated varieties of Calluna alone,
selecting the right heather for the right place can be
daunting. The detailed selection of cultivated hardy
heathers conveniently provides gardeners with the best
garden performers while further lists allow them to
search for heathers for specific qualities, such as heat
tolerance, ground cover, or early summer blooming.
Design options for displaying heathers at their best in
the garden are provided along with advice on spacing,
pruning, propagation, pests, and diseases. In this
fascinating and beautifully illustrated work, classic
wild-collected cultivars are described alongside the
latest introductions to produce an invaluable reference
that will inspire heather enthusiasts and gardeners for
generations to come.
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